Permutation-lock.



J. T. WHALEN.

PERMUTATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1907.

Patented June 1, 1909.

UNITED STATES OFFTQE.

JOHN T. WHALEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE WHALEN COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. WHALEN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPermutation-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in permutation locks, and itsobject is to render such locks safer and more convenient in their use,and to simplify their manufacture.

Furthermore, the aim of my invention is to arrange the parts, relativelyone to the other, so that the combination may be changed from withoutonly by the person knowing the same, or when the lock is open, and thatwhen such a changing of the combination is effected, or at any othertime, the knobs on the outside of the box cannot be removed or becomelost, except through opening the lock and taking same apart from within.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in whichlike characters of reference indicate like parts in all the views, Fiure 1 is a front or outside view of such a loc r. Fig. 2 is a rear viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical, central section on line A-A ofFig. 1. Fi 4 is a transverse section on line BB of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 isa transverse section on line OO of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, my permuta-- tion lock is shown to consist, inthe main, of a lock-plate a, three disks or tumblers, as b c (1, havingtubular extensions which latter project through an opening in the saidlockplate, see Fig. '3, and three knobs or rings, as gf e, which engagewith the ends of the central tubular extensions of the said disks 1) a(Z, respectively, a central member or screw h serving to hold togetherthe disks and their knobs and to secure same rotatably to the lock-platea. Each one of the disks 1) c d is provided, on its periphery, with anumber of shallow slots or kerfs, as n, and one kerf, as m, which isconsiderably deeper, all of which kerfs are equidistant. The shallowkerfs n serve to engage with a spring, as s, to aid in obtaining a stepby step motion of each disk, while maintaining the other disks in theirpositions of rest, in accordance or corresponding with the marks ornumbers on the knobs, for the purpose of placing the three disks,

successively, in such a position, relative to one another, so that theirdeep kerfs m are in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 27, 1907.

PERMUTA'IION-LOCK.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Serial No. 381,059.

line to receive the corresponding end of lever r and thereby cause anunlocking of the box to which the lock may be attached.

Each one of the three disks 6 c d has a slot, as b c d, which slotsconnect with the central openings of their tubular extensions and are,preferably, arranged to register, that is, to be in line, in the oneposition in which the deep kerfs m m m are in line to receive lever 1,see Figs. 3 and 4, A washer Z, loosely mounted on a part of screw hwhich is not threaded, has a radially extending detent Z adapted toenter the said internal slots 6 c d and lock them, nut and lock nut j onthe end h of screw it retaining said washer and detent on the latter.

, The connection between the disks or tumblers b c d and their knobs orrings g f 6, respectively, I have arranged in such a manner that thesame may be changed, whenever desired, from without, that is, withouthaving to open the box or the lock, thereby changing the combination, asfollows: The ends of the central tubular extensions of disks 6 0 cl areprovided with a number of radial slots as d, see Fig. 5, arrangedequidistant, while the knobs g f 6, each, have a pin, as e, adapted toengage with the said slots, respectively. Thus, by its pin engaging withthe corresponding disk, each knob may be placed in as many differentpositions, relative to its disk, as there are slots. In Fig. 5 ten slotsare provided for on the tubu lar end of disk d, and its knob 6 will bemarked correspondingly on its outer surface. If then each of the threedisks admits of ten different positions, the number of possible andavailable combinations will be 10 X 10 X 10 1000, as is well understood.T 0 change the combination, the lock is first unlocked by setting therings according to the selected combination, as only in that )ositionwill the internal slots b 0 cl be foun to register, and screw h is thenpartly unscrewed until washer Z with detent Z are well within the saidinternal slots, when it will be possible to slide rings gf 6 toward thefront of the lock sufficiently to disengage them from their disks and tothen )lace their pins, as e, into different slots, as whereupon screw itmay be returned to the position as shown in Fig. 3. Washer Z and nut jprevent screw h from being entirely withdrawn, thereby making itimpossible to remove the rings without taking the whole of the lockapart. To unscrew screw h, instead of the customary slot in the head ofthe screw, 1 bore out its center as shown and provide a hole, as i, anda slot on the periphery of the head, as t", to engage with pins on asuit-ably formed key.

I do not wish to confine myself to the particular means shown anddescribed for variably-adjustably connecting the tumblers with theirmarked rings, or for holding together all the parts of my lock, as thesame may be varied to a considerable extent.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a permutation lock, the combination, of a plurality of tumblerseach having independent operating means and slots and a movable detentadapted to engage the slots of said tumblers, whereby the relativepositions of the tumblers and the means for turning the same may bevariably adjusted.

2. A permutation lock, comprising, a plurality of tumblers provided withslots, rings for turning said tumblers, means for variably adj ustablyconnecting the said tumblers and rings, a movable central member, meansfor limiting the motion of said central member, and a detent mounted onsaid central member for engaging the slots in said tumblers, whereby thecombination may be changed.

3. ln a permutation lock the combination of a screw carrying a detent, aplurality of rotary tumblers, provided with slots permitting themovement of said detent when said slots are in alincment and operatingrings for said tumblers removably secured thereto.

4. In a permutation lock the combination of a plurality of rotarytumblers, operating rings therefor connected to the tumblers by means ofpins and slots, and a movable detent adapted to be moved axially intoslots in said tumblers, whereby the relative positions of the rings andtumblers may be changed.

5. In a permutation lock the crnnbination of a plurality of rotaryllUll'llllCl'S each having a cylindrical extension and slots in thetumbler and in the cylindrical extension, a plurality of operating ringsprovided with pins adapted to engage the slots in the cylindricalextensions and a movable detent mounted upon a screw and adapted toengage the slots in the tumblers.

Signed at Brooklyn this 25 day of June 1907.

J. C. BLAK, L. A. COUTLEON.

